


A mug full of questions

by Nichtigkeit_4



Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:47:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26863882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nichtigkeit_4/pseuds/Nichtigkeit_4
Summary: Bones alone in an interrogation room. Booth did not like that at all.  And yet he had other things to do than follow the conversation between her and their suspect. - [Booth/Sweets]
Relationships: Seeley Booth/Lance Sweets
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	A mug full of questions

**Author's Note:**

> All my stories have been translated from German to English. Since English is not my native language, translation errors may occur. But I hope that they are not too serious. If you notice any, feel free to tell me.
> 
> Have fun!

"You know I can do this, Booth!" – "You may be able to do this, but you're not authorized, Bones. You're not from the FBI" – With aching limbs and far too much paperwork under his arm, Booth tried to finally end this unnecessary discussion. But nothing helped. Not even the fact that he was already opening the door of the interrogation room where another suspect, and as they suspected, the killer, was quietly and hopefully nervously waiting for them. Because Bones didn't even think to let it go and reached for his upper arm. – "Booth, I've been in so many interrogations, I know what to do. So trust me. At least this one time" – As usual, she looked at him with those piercing blue eyes, as Booth suspected to put some kind of crazy voodoo on him, so that he finally gave in. – "But there must be an agent around, otherwise none of what you squeeze out of him counts" – Booth tried not to sound too annoyed and massaged the root of his nose instead. The day had been bad enough. Starting with those backwoods he had to get a statement out of, bend and break. Followed by a foot chase where he was almost run down by a taxi driver and finally the shots fired at him. And as if that wasn't enough, had Bones to strain his remaining nerves. That would give him a nasty headache tonight.

"But why? I'm at least as good, if not better, than some of the agents in this building. There's certainly a way around this, and you would see that if you weren't so averse to the idea. Am I right, Sweets?" – Unsuspectingly the therapist had turned the corner and without intending to, he got into a debate he didn't really want to be involved in. It was well after noon and Lance was just on his way to the coffee machine to get another cup of caffeine. After that, he just wanted to crawl back to his office to work through the mountains of files that were waiting for him on his desk. Obviously he had chosen the worst possible moment to get coffee. That would certainly mean overtime. – "I think I can't quite follow the conversation," was all Lance said, still completely unaware of where this conversation would lead. – "Booth doesn't trust me to lead the interrogation alone," Brennan spoke straight out and made a gesture toward her partner, only to immediately fold her arms across her chest. Her legs in a firm stance and her jaws slightly displaced, bringing out her already angular face even further. And Sweets knew right away that this was no good. So today that would not only mean overtime but also headaches. – "That's completely nonsense! You're twisting my words again!" – More than tense, Booth reached into his hair, obviously on the verge of a nervous breakdown. – "Then explain things from your perspective, Agent Booth. What is this really all about?" – Sweets really tried to smooth things over, feeling the tension between the two. And it wasn't this sexual tension between them that he sometimes joked about and still twisted his stomach uncomfortably. It was this ominous tension. Just before a bomb was going off. And Sweets didn't know which one of them was gonna go off first.

"Bones wants to go in alone. Without me. Without an agent. Which, I might add, is against the protocol" – Looking for help, a pair of light brown eyes gazed at him. With a slightly wrinkled forehead and lips pressed together in a line. And Sweets cursed this expression because he had never been able to refuse him anything. – "I'm afraid I must agree with Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan. If there is a trial, his lawyer could invalidate all information and a confession if no agent is present" – "But Booth is present. He can stand behind the glass wall and watch" – "What's wrong with being in the same room as Agent Booth. That seems a little irrational to me" – "Because Booth can't keep his mouth shut. His genetic need to be the strongest person in the room interferes the way I work. To Booth,the interrogation room is like an arena and he couldn't stand not to be the winner. That's why I don't want him in it" – "Hold on! Arena? Are you completely-" – Before Booth could finally lose his temper and raise his voice to an inappropriate level, Sweets stepped in. One hand raised as a sign of silence and the other resting on the shoulder of his colleague. Hoping to calm him down a bit. – "I think I've identified a deep-seated problem here. But now is not the time to discuss this. As far as I know there is a suspect sitting in there and if you get any louder, he will hear you. So now we come to a compromise and in our next session we will take up this issue again. Agreed?" – With a forceful expression he looked at his patients, who were still tense but silent consenting.

"Now what is this compromise?", asked Seeley impatiently and with clenched teeth. He held on very tightly to not make a scene, even if the day was already exhausting and nerve-racking enough. But he had to endure it now, for the peace of all involved. And Sweets understood that. He appreciated it very much and would later remember to acknowledge this in a quiet minute. – "I would say in order to solve this problem we need a party that is respected by Dr. Brennan and yet, from a genetic point of view, perceived as equal. I would suggest Caroline. She is a woman, a member of the FBI, and is certainly capable of maintaining the appropriate restraint" – Again it was quiet between them until Brennan nodded and unblocked her arms. – "This is an acceptable compromise. I will inform Mrs. Julian about it" – That was all it took and Bones was gone. Sending a quick prayer to heaven that it was finally over, Booth sighed deeply before dropping himself against the wall behind him a little too hard. – "You call that a compromise," he asked after a brief moment and squinted over to Sweets, who had buried one hand deep in his pocket and was still holding his empty cup in the other. – "Actually, she only got what she wanted" – Sweets shrugged his shoulders, which made Booth wheeze, almost like a little laugh. – "And still the protocol is followed. That means you got what you wanted, too" – Booth looked back in his direction. Looking into his therapist's dark eyes, down his nose to his lips that curled into a smile. A crooked smile that expressed so much more than was appropriate. – "Are you doubting my talents", Lance said afterwards, licking his lips slightly but grinning. Without really noticing it, Booth straightened up again, took a step toward his counterpart, ready to say something, here in this nearly empty hallway of the FBI building.

"I hope there is a more than good explanation for all this", it suddenly reigned in their direction and Caroline came towards them with big steps. Close behind her, Brennan, who was already reaching out for the files that Booth was still carrying and reluctantly handing them over to his partner. – "I'll explain it to you later, Caroline. Just please do me the favor of being present during the interrogation", tried Sweets now to calm the bad mood of the prosecutor. And fortunately, she appreciated his work so much that she put up with it for now and disappeared into the interrogation room with Brennen. But not before Booth stopped his partner again and gave her the case with the earplugs. Followed by the insistent request to wear them during the interrogation. – "In case you need help" – He didn't really want to say anything more about it, but Bones, in her way as a scientist, could not resist to answer. – "I don't think I need help"- She looked at the case and grabbed one of the earplugs. – "But thank you." – And Bones had already disappeared behind Caroline. Booth himself went into the room next door with a deep sigh, to his surprise, followed by Lance. – "Don't you have work to do, Sweets?", he asked, a little more irritated than intended, which didn't seem to bother the therapist at all. Instead, he leisurely closed the door behind him and placed his cup on one of the tables. – "I thought, while I'm at it, I might as well see how Dr. Brennan is doing" - That it was more of an excuse, Booth could hear just by the tone of his colleague's voice and it made him become aware. Aware of what Sweets was up to. And without being able to explain it, he expected it with an exciting tingling sensation. But for the time being he didn't let on, he turned to the interrogation and, his jacket waving backwards, put his arms on his hips. - "Can you tell me what you see in this picture?", he heard Bones voice quietly ask, while she showed the suspect the photo of a butcher knife. – "Are you kidding me?", Bones received the counter-question as the photo flew back towards her, swinging. The suspect leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, jaw tightened.

"Clearly a defensive position", it suddenly spoke whisperingly and hotly in Booth's ear. A shiver ran down his back, and without looking he knew that these lips, these so seductive, full lips just millimeters from his ear, curled into a slight grin. – "He recognized the murder weapon and felt uncomfortable talking about it" – His whisper became even quieter, until it almost stopped to a whisper. Only the hot breath slid over his ear down to his neck. - "He's afraid of giving himself away" – Without intending to, a soft and rough moaning escaped Booth's throat. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so unbearably hot. But what he did know was that it could only be his colleague standing close behind him without really touching him. His breath that ran over his skin and the almost imperceptible smell of his therapeutic incense sticks. And it was this particular mixture that almost drove him insane. Sweets drove him insane. How could this kid have such an effect on him? And how could he still not get used to it? After all, this wasn't the first time Sweets had demonstrated his effect on him in this way. And it only made him crazier. That this boy did it on purpose, and it kept him from working. – "Stop it", was all that came scratching out of his throat. Booth cursed himself for this more than bad attempt to get the therapist off his back. It was really pathetic. It was so pathetic that Sweets didn't even see the need to respond. Instead, he carefully laid his hands on Booth's waist and made the first physical contact. Until Sweets got even closer. Pressing his body against him. Pressing his chest against his back and letting his hips touch him.

"Please, we're here at work", tried Booth this time more vehemently and in a firmer voice. But even that only made the young man behind him laugh softly. – "That didn't stop us from doing it on your desk last week" – Booth could do nothing about that. And it gave him the chills just thinking back. How well Lance made himself at his desk, the walls to the open-plan glass office so that everyone could see it if anyone had been there, and the uninhibited noises of his partner. But they weren't here in his office, and it wasn't the dead of night. This was different. Right in front of him sat Bones, in the middle of an interrogation that obviously didn't seem to go very well. – "But we're not alone," Booth tried repeatedly. Remembering that it was wrong and extremely dangerous to continue this game on the spot. Not imagining what would happen if they were caught. – "Don't pretend you never dreamed of doing it here" – Sweets began to kiss Booth's neck in gentle touches, sliding his hands under his jacket, up his abs and scraping his short fingernails across the white fabric of his shirt. Sweet's body clung to him ever tighter. So tight and perfect, it was almost unbearable for Booth. But he had to. His partner was sitting there in front of him and obviously had problems to get a word out of the suspect while they were enjoying themselves. Apart from the danger that lurked, if someone should come in here and see what happened between them. And that could not happen. He turned to Sweets, grabbed him roughly by the wrists and pushed his arms down. Booth looked into the face of his counterpart, looked into those misty, brown eyes that almost screamed for him with lust, those full rosy lips, trapped by a row of gleaming white teeth. As sure as God helped him to get through it, he still couldn't believe how of all people this man, this hot, much younger man, could lust after him like that. What had he done to claim this man's attention. After all the time they had spent together, he still hadn't understood. But he enjoyed every moment he could put his own around those lips. But not now.

"Sweets, enough," he threatened in a deep voice, unwilling to stop himself. But he heard his partner's voice behind him, in a loud, almost aggressive tone. – "Why don't you admit that you took this knife from your uncle's butcher shop and cut off the victim's fingers?" – He could not let her down now. So Booth resisted repeatedly. But it was nipped in the bud when Sweets suddenly pushed him back. Right up against the window and over the ledge to pin him and let him feel what his gaze had already told him. A hard erection pressed against his thigh and made him remember his own hardness painfully. He felt how the first drops of lust were already pouring out of him and how the fabric of his pants stretched uncomfortably over his erection. And it was instantly clear to him, he was lost. It was impossible to resist this man. The last remains of his resistance vanished when those full lips, which he had been watching eagerly for far too long, finally touched his own and captured him in a wonderful and tender kiss. He felt the pressure getting tighter, felt this tongue cautiously, almost shyly asking to be let in. And Booth enjoyed it. He enjoyed kissing Sweets to the fullest, deepening it and only hearing the smacking sound of her lips in this room. until the smacking became heavy breathing. – "I know you had a hard day," Sweets whispered between two kisses. And Booth silently agreed with him, still feeling the pain in his heavy bones. – "And I know you won't like to talk about it" – The whisper was followed by a smile. Of course he would not talk to him about it. Not with Dr. Sweets. Not with him as a therapist. Maybe at home, if he was just Lance to him, Booth would open up and tell him what he was upset about today.

But for now, he would simply take care of his boyfriend's physical needs. – "What are you up to, Sweets?", Booth asked, completely out of breath and yet unable to stop what they had just begun. Lance just felt way too good for that. Instead, he now let his hands go on his walk. Grabbing the broad shoulders of his opponent, he walked up to his collar, ripping off the top button and touching the sensitive skin of his collarbone. – "Let's do something naughty" – Lance grinned again that grin that made Booth go weak every time. Out of these half-closed lids that exuded pure eroticism. And those nimble, long fingers that started to unbuckle his belt. – "I don't think that's a good idea" – Again he caught Lance in a kiss. - "The interrogation could be over at any moment," Booth gasped into the kisses, groaning softly as Sweets finally managed to unzip his pants and let a hand slide in. A strong hand closed around his erection. Hot skin met hot skin and Lance began to stroke up and down with gentle movements. – "I don't think so. Knowing Dr. Brennan, she won't give up that easily," Lance said, breathing flatly into Booth's crook of the neck as he followed the interrogation for a moment to find out how much time they had left. And since Brennan was not used to interrogating alone, it would take her a little longer to get a full confession.

But as good as it was for them and their little fling, Lance couldn't help but feel an unpleasant pain in his chest as soon as Dr. Brennan spoke again in the interrogation room. – "We should mute the conversation, don't you think?", asked Sweets casually, blindly groping for the right button on the control panel recessed into the ledge. But without success. – "Why? Is it distracting you?", Booth joked with a gasp. All he got was a head shake from his partner. A rather depressed head shake, as he discovered. – "Hey" – He gently grabbed Lance by the chin, turned his face in his direction to look at him. Knowing exactly what was going on in that knowledge-filled little head again. – "You know there's nothing to be scared. So don't worry", Booth whispered carefully to his lips before giving them a kiss. And yes, Lance knew. Still, there was this irrational feeling inside him that almost drove him crazy. – "I know. But I don't want you to hear her voice when you're aroused" – So he admitted it. Lance was jealous. Of Bones. And why wouldn't he? He felt this attraction between the two of them, it's not like he was blind. And he had told them himself often enough. Everyone had told them. After they'd been through so much, and shared so much. A few kisses ahead. And although Booth assured him that he had no feelings for his partner, Sweets couldn't shake this stabbing feeling of jealousy. And he was really not proud of it. For Booth, however, his feelings would not change that quickly. Especially his feelings for Sweets. That's why he reached for the control console himself, and after a few moves Bones voice faded away, so that only her heavy breath could be heard. That and a soft sigh as Booth bent over again to close his lips with those of his partner. This was enough to show him that no further words were needed. At least not until the next time.

And so Sweets began to return to his real job. And even though this serious topic had cooled them both down a bit, it didn't stop the therapist from picking up where they left off. Suddenly, it wasn't just about having fun or allowing his partner to relax after a stressful day at work. Suddenly, Bones' presence was omnipresent for Lance. She was in the room next door in an interrogation. And he was there himself, with Booth. In a way that Brennan could never have. And knowing that gave him a kind of satisfaction that was probably therapeutically questionable for him. And yet, he enjoyed it, kept satisfying Booth and holding him in another kiss until they both just gasped for breath. Until that heat was back, which they had felt a few moments earlier and which made his blood boil. And he would make Booth become weak. Like he always did when Lance put his hands on him. It didn't take much, he knew that. A little more and the resistance would be broken. A little more and Booth would lose his temper. So Sweets did the only effective thing. He tightened his grip around his lover's erection, rubbed him faster and kissed a wet mark across his neck until he finally sank his teeth into it and received a loud groan from Booth in return. Pushing his head back far too hard against the glass, there was a sound that even Bones and Caroline could not have missed. But now completely waxed in Sweet's hands he didn't pay any attention to it and instead grabbed the boy's blue tie and wrapped it around his fist. He made him look at him, pulled him far away until their noses touched. – "You're quite naughty," Booth growled from the bottom of his throat. He pulled him even further by his tie until their lips touched with every word he spoke. – "That's what you love about me" – Still too little for a kiss and yet too much to bear. It was fatal that Lance knew exactly what buttons to push. How to make him weak. Booth was anything but weak. – "Or am I wrong?" – It was almost just a pant that came over his lips. Even Sweets had reached his limit. But no matter how hard he was pushed to do the most unimaginable things with Booth, it was this agonizing excitement that gave Sweets the greatest satisfaction. – "Not so cocky, boy," Booth threatened him, causing him to take another stirring chill. He could not deny it. Sweets loved the way Booth dominated him. The way he bridled and marked him. It was strange how much he enjoyed being taken advantage of like he had never been before. But with Booth, he had to realize some time ago, things were different.

"Unbelievable how Daisy screwed you up with all that office sex" – A deep kiss followed, almost making Sweets forget what they had just talked about. – "Don't talk about other women when I'm about to get on my knees for you", he gasped into the kiss, his legs all soft from the excitement flowing through his body. – "So this was your plan all along?" – Booth laughed, moved away from Lance and looked at him with a wry grin. – "You're so tense you can't think of anything else but doing it with your mouth?" – "You know I get a lot of joy from satisfying you orally." - Another deep kiss follows. - "Especially because I love how much you praise my mouth." – With a sudden pull, Booth pulled the therapist back on his tie. – "So you want to be praised," he asked, squeezing the tie tighter around the young man's neck, knowing full well how much it would excite him as soon as the fabric pressed his skin together and slowly cut off his air. And after a short puff, Sweets nodded, biting his lip hard not to make any loud noises. Booth never thought he would ever cause another human being to suffer pain on purpose. But for some reason, Sweets felt pleasure. At the same time, Booth wasn't really the type for such things. He had always thought that sex should be loving, tender. And that Sweets, of all people, with his past, felt such satisfaction through pain was a mystery to him. Even though he could actually explain his fetish to him on a psychological basis and was more than aware of where it came from. For Booth, however, that was irrelevant and he had kept nothing from the talk Sweets gave him, with reddened cheeks and ears hot with shame. All that mattered to him was that Lance felt good. If it made him feel pleasure, he would give him pleasure. As long as he was happy, Booth would be happy. And if he was honest with himself, he also felt a certain satisfaction in chastising the boy in front of him and still being the one who gave him the security and affection he needed. Booth needed someone who needed him, as Sweets would phrase it. So he made him need him.

"On your knees," Booth growled in an rough voice. Whereupon Sweets willingly did as he was told. So he slowly sank down, finally taking care to get the erection he had held in his hands for so long out of those pants and looking at the pink tip. How it shone, all wet and expectant. – "Open your mouth," Booth ordered, letting go of Sweet's tie and began to go through the thick, black hair instead. He ran his fingertips across his cheek, brushing the corner of his mouth down to his chin. With light pressure, he made Lance look up at him, his mouth already a slit wide open. And the last eye contact had been enough for Lance to grab impatiently for his Erection, embrace it with his lips and suck greedily. He took him deep inside until he almost started to choke, let him slide out again just to repeat the whole play. He pressed his tongue over his glans, tasting the salty liquid, which only stimulated his saliva flow even more, and caused the man in front of him to groan in a thrilled and suppressed manner. It almost ran down his lips until he suddenly felt fingers moving across his face again. And a thumb stroked his saliva-covered lower lip, giving light pressure on it. Lance paused in what he was doing, his partner's erection still between his lips he looked up again. Met brown eyes that looked at him with transfigured gaze. Like the eyes of a predator that was about to devour its prey with skin and hair at any moment. But he just let his thumb slide into this hot and juicy mouth. To dip it into the mixture of saliva and its own pre-cum. To touch the tongue that tickled him so lightly that his erection twitched. – "You're driving me crazy," it whispered scratchy across the room as Booth took his thumb out of his mouth again, moving along Lance's lower lip and pressing it down. He looked at this beautiful row of gleaming white teeth and rosy gums. He looked at the inside of his lower lip, only to watch it rebound again. So full, so beautiful as they were swollen from her kisses and felt so wonderful. – "God, I love these lips" – Booth was completely out of breath. Trying in self-restraint not to come off like a pubescent teenager, if he kept looking at his partner like that. – "They're so perfect" – His thumb kept moving up Lance's cheek, leaving a salivary thread on his skin. Moistened the red cheeks until the hand was back in his hair and gripped firmly.

Booth wasn't the only one who almost lost his temper. Sweets also went over his head. Aroused to the extreme, he only thought of going further. Not just simple oral sex. And his partner's words did not make it better. They made him sweat and desire. Knowing that Booth felt such an engaging lust because it was him kneeling there made Sweets almost beg for his ass to be fucked. He couldn't deny how excited he was to know that he alone was the reason Booth suddenly showed a whole different side of himself. A side that was sinful. Lecherous, completely uncontrollable and yet so dominating. So dominating that Booth grabbed Sweets hair with both hands and pushed his head back towards his erection. He made him take it deep inside him. So deep that Lance had to close his eyes to keep control of his gag reflex. This let him know it wouldn't be long now. Booth started to lose control and went into a wild lead over Lance. He made him intensify his movements, picking him up faster in his mouth and pushing him further and further down the cliff. Until all that left Booth's lips was unintelligible babble followed by suppressed panting. – "God, Lance" – Not to lose his grip, he reached behind him for the ledge, grabbed it again, while his other hand strengthened the grip around Sweets hair, pushing his head a little further into his lap and holding it there. It had taken one last swallow of Sweets until a muffled moaning came from Booth and he poured into his partner's mouth. 

Totally knocked out, Lance let go of him. His mouth still filled with saliva and semen. – "Don't spit it out," he heard Booth's soft voice. – "Swallow," he said afterwards, grabbing Sweets by the jaw. Forced him to look at him again. And with eyes still glued shut, he did it. Looking at him from his big, brown eyes, he opened his mouth to present his partner what he had given him. – "God, you're going to kill me," Booth puffed heavily and stroked Sweets over the head like the good boy he was. He brushed the hair out of his forehead and enjoyed the sight he was offered. A tousled and sweaty Lance. His hair all messed up, his shirt crooked and torn at the collar and his tie hanging down his back while a trickle of seeds ran down the corner of his mouth before he could swallow it all. Overall, it was satisfying for Booth to know that he alone was responsible. And it was far from the end. He grabbed Lance by the twisted collar of his shirt and pulled him to his feet only to catch him as his wobbly knees gave in. – "I can't wait to take you home and keep you in bed for the rest of the night" – That little sentence that promised so much made Lance laugh softly. – "But maybe you should straighten up first," he replied and with hands still slightly trembling he began to make his partner presentable again while he tucked his shirt back into his pants and closed them. – "That's what the right man says," Booth said as he took it over to fasten his belt and straighten his tie. – "You look like you've just been having the hottest time of your life" – Of course Booth couldn't say that without the proper self-confidence. It was clearly a compliment to himself, and the huge grin on his face was a praise to itself. At the same time, he tried not to think about what they expected tonight and especially not about how ready Sweets was to do it all right here on the spot. This was proven by the more than present bump in his pants.

Thinking better of something else, he grabbed Lance's tie and pulled it back forward. He straightened his collar and tried to hide the fact that the top button of the shirt was missing. – "Are you all right?" – Booth asked in a soft voice, smoothing out some of Sweet's hair strands. – "Yes. Pretty chipper but everything's fine" – Sweets smiled more than satisfied. Even if Booth could still see the excitement on his face, he knew everything was fine. That Lance felt as good as he felt. That he hadn't hurt him and hadn't gone too far, just as Booth was always afraid to. But just as he had always taken away Lance's jealousy, Booth took away his fear. And he did it in a loving way, smiling at him with those sinful lips, snuggling up to his body and seeking the affection he always needed and demanding as soon as they both left the last waves of lust. And Booth gave it to him all too gladly. So he opened his arms, closed them around his partner's body. – "It's all perfect," Lance sighed softly at the crease of Booth's neck. Booth himself gave him a light kiss on the temple and enjoyed the brief moment of peace in this room. And for a little moment, everything was just perfect. Even more perfect was the kiss that Lance then gave him on the lips. Very lightly and only with gentle pressure. The lust and passion had disappeared and made room for the affection and security they felt for each other.

Ending the kiss, Booth looked into his partner's face. Looking into his eyes that lit up at him. He recognized so much in them as they stared at him until they suddenly digressed and fixed an indefinable point behind him. Gone was the contentment he had seen in them a moment ago. There was only wonder, worry and a hint of panic that Booth didn't know where it suddenly came from. – "Damn it," Sweets cursed softly and broke away from Booth far too hectically. – "They're gone," he said nervously and drove through his hair in disarray. Trying to make what was on his head look more or less like a hairstyle again, he straightened his collar and tie and smoothed his shirt in a frenzy. And while Booth watched him in amazement, he began to get the point. In one turn he turned back to the mirror and had to find out that the interrogation room was empty. Not even the suspect was sitting in it. – "Damn," Booth now said. How long had they been gone? And what did that mean for Sweets and him? They hadn't come into the room, they would have noticed. Would they? They weren't so busy with themselves that they didn't notice. At least Booth hoped they were. Or were they so loud that they could be heard down the hall? He prayed to God that they weren't. Because as open as he was with Sweets about their sex life, no one else had any business being in it. And he cursed himself for allowing it to get that far. He knew it was a stupid idea and yet he let Lance twist his arm around him. Now they had it coming!

Now it was time to step out of this room as relaxed and natural as possible without letting anything show. After all, there was no point in continuing to avoid it. So Booth opened the door a little too hastily and stepped out into the hallway, not caring if Sweets was even ready to face it. He was still standing in the middle of the room, fighting with his tie and finally giving up. His head was burning hot with shame and his courage was only enough to stand directly behind Booth and protect himself from possible glances of his colleagues. As it turned out, quite fortunately for him. Because the very first second Booth opened the door, he could see Caroline and Brennan standing there. Obviously waiting for them, while one of them looked more than unhappy about it. It was an agonizingly long second of silence between them. Not knowing how much his colleagues now knew, Booth also remained silent into this silence. He had stumbled blindly into this situation and could only hope for the best. But in vain. – "Cheri," it reigned over the hallway far too loud for Booth's ears. So loud that he felt Sweets flinching behind him. – "Next time you plan a sleepover in the FBI interrogation rooms" – She paused to let the words sink in, making it clear to him that she didn't find this whole thing amusing at all. – "Then make sure you don't do that near an intercom," she finished her sentence and symbolically handed him the earplug she must have worn during the interrogation and then rushed away with loud steps.

Booth swallowed heavily, now also very red around the ears. – "How much did you hear," he asked Bones, who was still standing there, almost uninvolved, looking at him. She didn't seem to understand how embarrassing it really was for her colleagues either, because she replied in a tone of voice as if she was talking about one of her scientific facts again. – "There was no permanent transmission. So it's hard to say, because I don't know how much I missed" – Silence. Booth didn't know how to answer it and actually didn't want to. Maybe it was better not to know and just let the whole thing rest. That would probably be less embarrassing for him and especially for Sweets, who still didn't dare to come forward. But Bones seemed to misinterpret his silence again. Just as if her first answer hadn't been satisfying. – "But if you want to know for sure. I now know that you and Sweets obviously perform coitus many times. And that you initially disagreed with doing it during the interrogation. Which I really appreciate," Brennan babbled, with no shame or respect for his privacy. – "Bones," Booth tried to stop her, but ignoring that objection, she kept talking. – "And obviously, your behavior at work also carries over into your sex life. Your urge for superiority is stronger than I thought, but you shouldn't treat Sweets that way. Strangulation and physical violence can be stimulating during coitus, but for individuals who have had traumatic experiences they can be disturbing and lead to psychological problems. When Dr. Sweets-" – "Dr. Brennan", Lance suddenly interrupted his colleague's rant and took a step into the hallway. Finally, Lance emerged from his partner's shadow and faced the confrontation. For too long he had just listened to the conversation and left the whole thing to Booth. But that was not right. They were in this together, then they should face it together. But most of all, he couldn't take it anymore, as Brennan could believe that Booth was deliberately hurting him. He would never hurt him against his will. That's why he had to say something, as embarrassing as it was and as much as he wished nothing more than to sink into the ground right now. – "This is not about Agent Booth. It's about me" – Red to the tips of his ears, he stood there, his back stretched out, looking Brennan in the face. It was necessary to face her with enough courage to keep a cool head. And he knew the whole thing would only make sense to her on a scientific level. So he explained it as soberly and professionally as possible.

"It stimulates me sexually to be led by my partner. And that's all that concerns you. If you'll excuse us then, Dr. Brennan" – He would not reveal more of his privacy and so the discussion was over for him. And he was sure that he could never face the two women again once he left the building. The best thing he could do was to go into hiding. Escape somewhere abroad, take a new name and never return. – "Oh, of course. I suppose your desire for coitus is more than present. At least that's what it sounded like before" – "Bones!", Booth growled angrily, mad again that his partner couldn't manage to keep her mouth shut at the right moments. She should have noticed that neither of them was happy about this meeting. – "Have fun", was all she said and then disappeared towards the elevators. And just as Sweets was about to breathe a sigh of relief that this fiasco was coming to an end, he heard Brennan's voice calling from afar. – "By the way, our suspect confessed" – Of course, this sentence was brimming with pure self-conviction, with that smile that Brennan always showed when she was right. But it was long gone when Bones disappeared in the elevator and the doors finally closed. At that moment, Booth was more than happy to see Bones showing off her huge ego again. After all, it meant that he, in turn, no longer needed to talk to the suspect. And he didn't want to imagine entering an interrogation room again in his present condition.

He could hear Sweets sigh heavily beside him before he drove his hands through his face. Booth was surprised to see the pale skin of his cheeks, which were usually rosy red, if not burning hot. But just now, all the shame and fear drained from Lance's bones, leaving nothing behind but exhaustion. – "Please let's get out of here," he heard his soft voice and couldn't help but wrap his arms around him. This situation was more than embarrassing for him as well, but somehow they had to cope with it now. And tomorrow was another day. And the day after that and the day after that. And on each of them they would face the two women and remember what had just happened. And all this without losing their temper completely. Which Booth would probably do better than Sweets, he was sure of that. – "I still have to write a report on the case, but you go home," Booth said in a reassuring voice and gave his partner a gentle kiss on the forehead – "Please," he almost pleaded, and then looked at him with his big brown eyes. – "I can hardly save myself from paperwork. But going home alone now would be unbearable for me" – And Sweets was honest, which he always was when it came to their relationship. Especially in a partnership, Sweets valued honesty - perhaps through his work as a therapist. And he lived it to the fullest. So Booth agreed. Surely he could still write the report tomorrow morning. It wouldn't run away from him. And right now it was more important to him to be there for his partner. To go home with him, throw himself on the sofa and turn on the TV. Then they would both recover from this day, physically and emotionally, and they would take care of each other, physically and emotionally.

"You are right. Let's go home" – Again Booth gave the young man a kiss on the forehead and walked with him towards the elevator. It would do them both good to switch off for the time being and yet Booth couldn't help but notice this little scratchy feeling in him. This feeling that told him that maybe their time was coming soon. That maybe it was time to finally stand up for who they were, even if it was hard for both of them. Sweets for one reason and Booth for another. It would be a big step for them and not just as individuals. But for them as a whole. For them as a couple. And Booth wondered if they were really ready for it. Of course, in a fraction of a second he couldn't find the answer. And surely this was something he should discuss with his partner for the time being. But not today. Just now was not the time to bring up such a serious topic. The day was just too long for that. And when the elevator doors closed behind them, Booth made a commitment to talk to Lance the next morning. And maybe that would be the end of their secrecy. No more secret meetings. No more secret physical contact under rancid diner tables at lunch. No hidden kisses behind closed doors. They should leave this behind. And if Booth kept thinking about it, he couldn't deny that he liked it. So he put it behind him. For now, the FBI building, his office and the pile of paperwork. And the interrogation room and monitoring room where nothing of their activities was left but a lonely mug.


End file.
